Let’s be clear. I use Windows7 every day. I think it is better than Vista, which I also used everyday. But as Steve Balmer said not too long ago, “We are glad to have good competitors pushing technology innovation.” Let’s see.
An Operating System is software which integrates with hardware. The OS must work with chips, motherboards, expansion cards for audio and video, and memory, CPU’s, and a variety of peripheral equipment. Control is the governing mantra of an OS.
But is the end of the hardware OS in sight? “Absolutely not!” is probably the typical response. But consider. Google was rumored to be working on a “Cloud”; an operating system running on the Internet. But right now it is limited to only offering storage services. Simply put a Cloud is nothing more than a web browser plus operating system,. It is designed to allow the browser to perform everything that the desktop is able to perform.
Yet a “cloud” OS already exists. At G.ho.st a virtual computer is offered to users free of charge it include a desktop, file storage (a hard drive) and applications. Cloud just boots into a web browser, so it is perfect for Netbooks, Mobile Internet Devices, and PCs for pure Internet use. Here is the home page for G.ho.st.
- Ghost Home Page
You can create an account or use the guest account to see how the Operating System works.
Here are some of the features that are available. Start with the fact that G.ho.st is browser based. When you launch the browser, you activate the Virtual Machine (VM) and you get a desktop.
The G.ho.st Desktop With Widgets
Applications will run without the need to install them. The Zoho application suite is available for word processing, spreadsheets, and powerpoint like apps. You can share files and applications using the virtual drive. It provides secure data storage.
But nothing tops the fact that you can run this virtual machine from any computer. Launch the browser, and the VM comes up. Once you close the browser, your VM is closed, and it does not leave a record behind of your activity.
The Control Panel
The operations are many and provide a glimps of what future computing can look like. Instead of waiting for Google, or Microsoft, or Yahoo to come up with a cloud computer, one is available now.
You can watch a demonstration video at : G.ho.st Demo
